The present invention pertains to implements for multipurpose tools.
Leatherman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,272, issued May 17, 1988, discloses a xe2x80x9cFoldable Toolxe2x80x9d including pliers jaws having respective tangs or butt portions remote from the cooperating work or grasping end portions of the jaws. The butt portions are pivoted to channel-shaped handles. The pivots for the jaws and handles are parallel. The handles are swingable relative to the jaws for compact nesting of the jaws within the handles. Pocket knife implements can be separately pivoted to the channel-shaped handles.
Other types of compound tools having cooperating jaws swingable relative to handles are disclosed in German Patentschrift 30788, published Aug. 14, 1984, and in the following U.S. patents: Meloos, U.S. Pat. No. 649,344, issued May 8, 1900; Di Maio, U.S. Pat. No. 1,524,694, issued Feb. 3, 1925; Leatherman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,862, issued Dec. 16, 1980; Leatherman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,869, issued Dec. 26, 1989; and Collins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,173, issued Nov. 5, 1991.
Yet another compound tool having cooperating pliers jaws swingable relative to handles is disclosed in my U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/891,990, filed May 27, 1992, and issued on Dec. 7, 1993, as U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,366.
In the tools of most of the patents referred to above, the handles of the tools normally form extensions of the butt portions of the jaws, and the handles usually are longer than the grasping or working end portions of the jaws. In order to achieve a mechanical advantage, the handles must be grasped at their end portions remote from the jaws. Nevertheless, such tools often are formed with handles shorter than the handles of standard tools, for compactness when the jaws are swung or otherwise retracted into the handles. Therefore, the mechanical advantage that can be achieved is limited. Such tools also may have narrow side edges that are difficult or uncomfortable to grasp, and/or swinging implements that do not securely lock in place or are difficult to release, or lack implements for special tasks.
The present invention preferably is used with a multipurpose tool having cooperating jaw members pivoted together such that working end portions of the jaw members are movable toward and away from each other. The jaw members have tang or butt portions extending opposite the jaw pivot from the working end portions. Such butt portions are, in turn, pivoted to elongated handles for swinging about axes parallel to the axis of the jaw pivot. The handles are channel-shaped and define recesses into which the interconnected jaw members can be swung or retracted so as to be nested in the handles.
More specifically, in the xe2x80x9copenxe2x80x9d position of the tool, the handles form extensions of the jaw members and have forward ends adjacent thereto and rear ends remote therefrom. The tool can be xe2x80x9cclosedxe2x80x9d by swinging the handles away from each other. The handles are moved relative to the jaws through angles approaching 180xc2x0 in order to receive the jaw members within the handles.
In one aspect of the present invention, a cover or lid member is connected to each handle. Such member extends over the otherwise open channels for more comfortable grasping of the handles when in their open positions. The cover members can have openings through which the jaw members swing when the handles are moved to the closed positions. The handle covers or lids can be swung or otherwise moved to open the channels for access to implements swingably mounted therein.
In another aspect of the present invention, a convenient and sturdy lock mechanism is provided to retain implements that are swingably mounted in the channels of the handles. Such lock mechanism can include a spring-biased finger received in a corresponding notch of the tang portion of the implement.
In another aspect of the present invention, special implements are provided for mounting in the channels of the handles, including a stud or driver implement for use with standard socket tool components and a specialized scissors implement having one handle pivoted in a channel of the multipurpose tool and another handle pivoted relative to the first handle and spring biased relative thereto.